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Ride Impression: Specialized Fat Boy

The Fat Boy marks a pretty significant moment in the progression of Fat Bikes in that it is the moment when one of the ‘big guys’ in bike manufacturing got onto the big, fat bandwagon.

The Fat Boy is well named as the 4.8″ tires that will be stock on this beast are just crazy looking. Riding this bike around the demo area, I was stopped a couple of times by passers by who asked what it was for. Add to those folks the ones that just pointed and stared and it was sure not a stealth bike.

As mentioned earlier, the two models differ only in parts spec but both have a monocoque carbon fork based on the Chisel and are built to accept 5″ tires. Not shown yet were the Specialized branded tires that will be 26×4.8″ size with a tread based on the Ground Control tire. The rim shows some unique material removal in a pretty cool pattern and weighs 795g in a 90mm width. The upper level model gets an XO rear der and both of them get Gripshift.

The rear hub is 190mm wide and the front is 135mm, both being Specialized branded hubs on the one I rode. Pedaling around on the monster tires that were running at 6psi, the sound is pretty cool…rrRRRrrr…and I expected it to feel ponderous both in acceleration and handling. I was quite surprised to find that, despite a claimed 30lbs weight (which is not that heavy…quite light actually…for a Fat Bike), it moves out pretty well when you pedal it. And even the handling was surprisingly light and accurate. Weird. Not what I would have thought at all.

So there was a bit of a snow bank nearby but it was just too much of a temptation to resist taking it up the chair lift and down one of the trails on the mountain ( I even left my pads on just in case my enthusiasm got the best of me). I mean, I knew it would go over hard packed snow…duh…but would it be any good on a dirt trail that did not require 4.8″ wide tires just to navigate it?

It was amazing really. It was absolutely a blast. Traction is so off the hook high, that I would be terrified to see what it would take to exceed the traction that the front tire offers when turning. On the beat-down and crumbly surfaces, the bike just griiiippPPEDDDD around the corners with the tires making a weird noise and off you went. I could go surprisingly fast, even get small air and it was just no issue, but the limit button began to pop up when you would hit successive bumps and the big front tire would begin to bounce higher each time.

It was surprisingly normal feeling, in a weird kind of oompa-loompa way, and it steered pretty much like a regular bike. Specialized intends this to be on the Snow Racer side of things, and while I know less then zero about snow racing, I imagine that the Fat Boy will fun to ride on any surface that is dirt based. It is amazing how all the low pressure rubber changes where you can ride, what lines you take. I was playing around on a side trail that would have been hard to walk on…ruts, loose hens egg and orange sized rocks…and it just pedaled up without even noticing. It is darn smooth riding too with all that cush in the tires.

Guitar Ted is the man that actually knows about Fat Bikes. Me? A pure novice. But I would sure like to grab something like this and work out a desert bikepacking trip. Maybe take it to the beach and cruise low tide. Maybe even terrorize the local guys on the single tracks…let them live in fear of the tire noise coming up behind them. It would leave a heck of a mark on their backs as I rode over. I don’t think the Fat Boy would even notice.

More detail pics for ya, then a video interview with Scott Stroot, one of the bike nuts at Specialized.

The Fat Boy looks good. I am stoked too that Specialized has so fully invested in their fatbike, and in doing some cool things with it. I’ll be interested to ride one and see how it works on the trail.

29+ will become more prevalent too, I believe, based on conversations I’ve had with a number of folks. It’s just a matter of time… The bikes are a ton of fun to ride.

@Jay C: Grannygear told me that Specialized is using the “no bead hook” rim design they are pushing with their 29″er carbon rims on the Roval side. So- a straight wall rim interface with no “hook” inwards. As far as an inner channel for the tire bead to sit in, I do not know.

I will let Grannygear speak to the parts being offered on their own, but I will offer this: Specialized would be crazy not to do that, and I hope that they do.

I also find the 190mm rear width and 4.8″ tires to be a bit at odds with “racing” in the overall sense. However; think about Iditarod, or the Arrowhead, and other events like this. There you do want all that float, maybe, or at least the option to have it. So in the end, maybe Specialized is future-proofing and giving us more options all at the same time. The mere fact that a 5″ tire is even mentioned at all in the video points to what I am saying here. So, I say good move……most likely.

The 190mm rear hub is a great call – there is not much downside, and lots of clearance – Yay! Assuming the hubs winterize well and are not inordinately expensive they should be popular.

“a straight wall rim interface with no “hook” inward” sounds fairly uninspiring. So, the only thing that prevents the tire from rotating under pedal and breaking forces is the tight fit of the bead? Seems like a step backwards, and would require gluing the tire to the rim for any extended low pressure riding.

I am looking forward to seeing more info on these bikes, its nice to see some of the big manufactures fielding fat bikes!

Cool bike, thanks, GG. I want to adapt a bike to ride on the (closed) railroad track that follows the Arkansas River up from the Royal Gorge up to Leadville (we are in Salida, right in between). Then I want to coast back. Do you think that, at sufficiently low pressure, the fat wheels would conform to the rails? I realize I’d need an outrigger for the second track, I want to be able to relax and I’m not Danny MacAskill :).

Ordered mine a few weeks ago but do not seem to be able to get a delivery date. Any help on that front? I also see on the Specialized web site that the tire size has changed from 4.8 to 4.6. What’s up with that? The geometry is very close to the Carve and Stumpy, which I love. The Expert is specked wonderfully. Looking forward to some bike packing on it.

The beautiful Salmon Falls Trail in particular got really ripped up a few years ago from too much use in the rain. Also, more and more private land owners are opening up their estates for trail riding for a small fee. I’m guessing whether this wonderful trend continues or not depends heavily on how light we tread on their land.

These bikes definitely have a place, and probably a lot more places than anyone can even guess at right now.